Bike Commute Challenge Kick-Off

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2013-08-29

Commuters to Reduce Traffic Congestion;Washington County Heavyweights to Battle in September

Portland, Oregon – During the month of September, thousands of commuters across Oregon and SW Washington will leave the car at home and take a bicycle to work as part of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance’s (BTA’s) Bike Commute Challenge. Every person who rides a bicycle to work reduces their footprint on the road, making it easier for everyone to get to work.

To mark the occasion, two of the largest employers in the Portland-Metro area, Intel and Nike, will challenge each other to see which workplace will bring more benefit to their workforce and their community in a “Jocks vs Nerds” challenge.

Combined, Intel and Nike employ around 25,000 residents in Oregon, most of whom work at the Intel and Nike campuses in Hillsboro and Beaverton, respectively, to the west of downtown Portland. Employees commute to those campuses from all over the Metro area, and their choice to ride to work will not only help them stay happy, healthy, and wealthy, it will also clear up space on the roads and in the parking lots we all use each workday.

Brad Biddle, Intel’s coordinator of the Open Bike Initiative project, noted: “Volunteer teams from Intel and Nike have been working together on new bike sharing technology, so we’ve had lots of opportunity to talk bikes recently. We saw the BTA Bike Commute Challenge as a great opportunity to build on our shared interests in expanding the use of alternative transportation in Washington County.”

Intel’s team captain Leonard Cano added: “Plus: nerds vs. jocks – who could resist! It really has been the perfect theme to stoke a friendly rivalry. And, on the off chance we lose, stay tuned for the revenge of the nerds next year.”

Every person who chooses a pedal-powered commute over driving frees up more than 70% of the asphalt they use, from approximately 72 square feet in a car to just 20 square feet on a bicycle. Commuters who choose a bicycle over a car also reduce the maintenance burden on public roads, conserving limited taxpayer-funded paving budgets, and open up more parking space for their co workers.

During the 2012 Challenge alone, 11,745 people representing 1,395 workplace teams took part in the Challenge. All together they traveled a combined 1,278,343 miles and freed up approximately 14 acres of space on our streets by choosing a bicycle on their commute.

All Oregon commuters who want to ride to work in September, whether for the first time or as part of their normal routine, are invited to sign up and accept the challenge at http://bikecommutechallenge.com. People participating in the September Challenge qualify for weekly prize drawings every time they log a trip, and after logging seven trips, earn discounts at more than 80 bike shops across Oregon.

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About the Bicycle Transportation Alliance:

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance was formed in Portland, Oregon in 1990, has approximately 4,000 Oregon households as members, and advocates on behalf of residents at the local, regional, state and federal levels. The BTA works to improve the conditions for bicycling through education, through engineering and building streets that are safe for all users, through advocating for increased enforcement of traffic laws, and through encouragement programs that get people of all ages and abilities to consider cycling as a transportation option. The BTA is dedicated to creating healthy, sustainable communities by making bicycling safer, more convenient, and more accessible.

The BTA’s annual Bike Commute Challenge is a month-long friendly competition that encourages people to see who can ride to work the most each September. Now in its 19th year, the Challenge regularly draws thousands of participants from all over Oregon. Awards are given out in categories based on industry and workplace size, and participants are encouraged to issue their own challenges, to other individuals or other workplace teams.